Blue Jays trade Grichuk and $9.7M to Rockies for Tapia

Associated PressMar 25, 2022, 1:51 PM EDT
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TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays traded outfielder Randal Grichuk and just over $9.7 million to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday for outfielder Raimel Tapia and minor league infielder Adrian Pinto.

The 29-year-old Grichuk hit .241 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs in 149 games last season. He was dealt two days after hitting a grand slam in a spring training game against the Yankees.

The cash will offset a little more than half the $18.7 million Grichuk is owed over the final two seasons of his $52 million, five-year contract.

Toronto will pay Colorado $9,716,333 – $5,383,333 this year and $4,333,333 in 2023 – covering a little more than half the $18,666,666 owed to Grichuk, who has salaries of $9,333,333 in each of the next two seasons.

Tapia agreed this week to a $3.95 million, one-year contract and is eligible for free agency after the 2023 season.

The free agent signing of infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant had a big impact on Tapia, who was penciled in as the team’s left fielder before Bryant’s arrival. Tapia became the odd-outfielder-out with Sam Hilliard in center and Charlie Blackmon in right.

Known for his speed, Tapia tied for the team lead with 20 stolen bases last season. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic also hit .273 with six homers and 50 RBIs.

In 2020, Tapia got a boost in playing time with Ian Desmond electing to opt out of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tapia finished with a career-best .321 average that season.

Tapia made his big league debut with Colorado in Sept. 2, 2016.

The Blue Jays signed Grichuk to a long-term deal in 2019 but he wasn’t assured of a starting job. Toronto has George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the outfield.

A first-round pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2009, Grichuk got traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. He was dealt again when the Cards sent him to the Blue Jays in January 2018.

Pinto earned MVP honors in the Dominican Summer League after hitting .360 for DSL Colorado. He also stole a league-leading 41 bases.

The 19-year-old signed with the Rockies as an international free agent in July 2019.

New bill to build Athletics stadium on Las Vegas Strip caps Nevada’s cost at $380 million

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 12:14 PM EDT
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.